Review

Elizabeth Raum
Concerto for Bass Trombone:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2008
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano
Secondary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with orchestra

Elizabeth Raum is a prolific composer and principal oboist of the Regina Symphony Orchestra.  Her biography highlights her reputation as an “accessible” composer and the Concerto for Bass Trombone certainly fits that description.  Commissioned for the birthday of Douglas Sparkes, bass trombonist of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the work is approachable and can be performed with either string orchestra and percussion or wind ensemble in addition to piano. 
	
The opening movement begins with a fanfare that is juxtaposed throughout with some faster, lyrical lines. The second movement, subtitled “Romance (for Nata),” is slow and expressive while the final movement is striking with plenty of syncopation, glissandi, and folk sounding melodies. 
	
Raum’s Concerto will not be technically challenging to most bass trombone players. With a length around thirteen minutes and a melodic range between pedal GG and g1, the piece challenges the performer to sound their best in the most often used registers of the instrument.  That being said, the work is full of nice music that will challenge a player’s ability to play expressively. It is also a welcome addition to the repertoire featuring solo bass trombone with string orchestra or wind ensemble. Bass trombonists looking for more opportunities to be featured with a large ensemble should get to know this concerto.

-Eric High
St. Norbert College